Ghost of Kiri
by Double.T.W.S
Summary: Clouded in mystery, once abandoned, the lonely child weeps under the embrace of the moonlight. His hands stained with the blood of the battlefield, his only purpose invited by countless. The glory of a thousand faint echoes, gone with a gleam of steel. My profession is not to be taken lightly, now let us discuss. The price? My loyalty to my nation and those precious to me.
1. Chapter 1

**This is another idea I had regarding the Naruto series. While my first story was full of ideas I had, I doubted it was 'fulfilling' since I became one of the norms amongst fan fiction writers. Which primarily translated to Team 7 bashing and all sorts of nonsense where I make Naruto too overpowered for enemies to defeat. Thus, I endeavored to change that, I wanted something realistic, something not too far-fetched and allowed my main character to feel normal, which I really hope would work out. Yes, my character in this story may seem overpowered in some sense, which you will come to understand soon, but I will make the enemies even tougher to accommodate for the actual S-rank standards we have of some characters.**

 **Disclaimer: The Naruto series has so many flaws and plot holes that so many wishes to own it, simply to correct the mistakes. But alas, I and my fellow writers do not own it.**

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 **Chapter 1:** **The Lost Child**

 _Was it good that I was born?_

The splashing of puddles could be heard; the darkness of the alleyway consumed the shadow of the robed figure. The cracking of fire could be heard, followed by the yells of the angered and the oblivious. The robed figure glanced back, the once innocent eyes now full of fear and sorrow, panting away while fearing for his life.

A dead end, the figure was able to, at least, able to make out the description of his surroundings.

All around him, venomous words filled his head, the judgement of retribution all placed on him, what right did they have to do this to him? What did he do to deserve this?

 _Would anyone shed a single tear for me if I died now?_

Resigning to his fate, he turned around to witness the crowd of sinners before him, yet they themselves claim that he was a sinner, far worse than they ever were. Yet, what was he to say, nothing could get to their heads, their thoughts crumbled and influenced by alcohol. This wasn't the first time, yet he was sure this wasn't the last; the cycle of suffering of three years had an effect on him.

He was more tuned to the emotions that others portrayed without visible witness, the scorns of people that once greeted him with glee and cheerfulness were now replaced by disdain and disgust. No longer was he in a village full of love and care, the façade of it vanished and his eyes bore witness to the worse of human nature. He was able to sense the entire pure form of evil that the human nature encompass, he knew where people were and were able to escape at times, but his body was not built for that.

Looking up, the light of the fire illuminated the path, the shadows licking away at the figure, yet from another perspective, one would question, why was he so small? Judging from his height, he could be no more than a mere child, less than 10 years in fact, so what could a mere child have done to warrant the wrath of the villagers?

"Demon"

"Monster"

"Abomination"

 _They called me names, such horrible names, why?_

"It's time for you to die for what you did long ago; the dead would be at peace with you gone."

Those words were spoken as if they were rehearsed, yet they pointed to one thing, the child was the incarnation of death, what was the reason? Taking a step back as they approached closer, the walls captured its prey, the hunters now prepared to kill their target. Inside the young boy's mind, the feeling of dread and adrenaline filled him again, he knew this feeling and he felt it before.

A few months ago, he was unlucky enough to get caught stealing, other children would get a stern warning, but him? He was given something akin to a death sentence, mobs of people called for his death, the council declined. They took matters into their own hands and drove him to the point of near death, leaving him for the rats and maggots to feast on his body.

He recovered of course, but now he was sure that the people here were going to finish the job and he was scared. Fear. The feeling had been obvious for the later part of his years, he was sick and tired of it, yet what could he do? He was just a meagre boy, not yet capable of defending himself, only able to run and cry for help.

Nobody was there to help him; he was disowned, thrown out like trash, discarded as if he was filth that belonged to the streets. He hadn't asked for much, he just wanted it all to end, to go back to the way things were, it didn't happen even after three years of praying. He resolved himself; he wanted to know why, what caused the change to happen? He was seeking the truth of what happened on that very night, that was the whole point of his existence at the moment, the drive needed to survive and live another day.

However, he had to deal with his current predicament.

 _I want my old life back, where everything was happy in my own little world, why did it change?_

Grabbed by the scruff of his robe, lifted high into the air, his hood fell as the light shone on his features. Crimson red hair, once akin to fire itself but now so murky with the amount of grime on it, ocean blue eyes that one could stare for hours, now dull and blank, his face withered and skinny, the bones of his arms were visible. The boy looked to be about 8 years old, what kind of child deserved this kind of treatment?

Struggle all he could, the grip of his captor was too strong and the breath he emitted was heavy with alcohol. He swung him over his shoulder as he was carried, the boy wondered, _'This isn't the usual treatment, where are they taking me?'_

Obviously, the difference caused a feeling to swell up in him, young and misguided, happiness was apparent. Maybe they finally stopped and were bringing him back, maybe they finally were going to apologise for what they did, and maybe they were going to bring him back to treat him better? Looking back, he had to admit, that he once thought of stupid ideas, but what would you expect?

After an eternity, he was brought into the forest, the echo of birds and the sound of nature were familiar to him and it was after all his home, a place where he could live in solitude and peace. A sudden jerk on his robe forced him to fly towards a tree, smashing into it and causing a dent to form, pain filtered through his body as he tried to get up.

The sudden swishing sound in the wind caused him to look up at his surroundings; he was suspended in the air, looking at his captors in the same height. Stinging pain rushed through his limbs, glancing at each one, he realised that he was pinned by four weapons that the people used for combat. Blood spurted out and he opened his mouth to let out a cry of pain, yet nothing came out as he was hit in the gut by a full powered punch, all the minuscule amounts of food he had earlier were spewed out.

After a heart-wrenching moment, he looked up again only to see a fist coming at him again, exactly the same fist yet with more power behind it. Punch after punch, his face no longer recognisable and his body caved in and his bones were most likely cracked, he was a mess. Yet he faced his captors with as much vigour as he could muster, he would survive, survive another day to find out the truth. His captors were not amused.

"Look at the demon, still has some fire in its eyes."

"Well then you know what to do, gotta get rid of this thing."

"Yes, we're gonna be heroes after this, the slayers of the demon."

 _Was this how my life was meant to be?_

The punches and kicks stopped, he spat out the blood that clogged up in his throat, with a strain of his neck and he saw all his captors lined up in one row, holding their hands in a weird sign. Their chest puffed up, they blew out fire, fire that was aimed at him.

Skin crackled and sizzled, the burning stench of flesh filled his nose, it was nauseating and the feeling of being burned alive caused him to let out a blood-curdling scream that filled the forest. Tears that were being generated dried up and his eyes were scrunched shut, this was a whole new level of pain that he experienced.

He wanted it to stop, the pain, the suffering, the agony of being killed and the fear that he would never find out the truth. Human nature kicked in, the will to survive, the will to fight back and the will to kill in order to end the suffering.

' _Please, somebody end this pain. I can't take any more of this; I'll do anything, so please stop it!'_

Wailing inside his head as he was slowly being burnt to a crisp, the dormant power inside of him surfaced in the form of a red miasma of immense power despite the lithe amounts of it. The stress of the current situation caused rapid changes to the boy, his fiery red hair now turned snowy white, his blue irises turned a wild red with slitted eyes then they faded away to a forest green, his more prominent facial features vanished only to be replaced with perfectly unmarred skin. His once pale skin that was burned to a disgusting black started receding back and perfectly healed skin sprouted out again.

The red shroud faded away only to be replaced with a golden glow that appeared and enveloped him, shielding him from the flames that sought to burn him alive. The fires were slowly being pushed back from the overwhelming force of the dormant power and bowed down in command of their superior.

The captors were stunned, to say the least by the turn of events, causing their control over the fire to wane, allowing the glow enough time to reform into chains. Literal chains of golden colour with spiked tips appeared from the back of the boy's body, their master was in danger, their master wanted the suffering to end and they would serve their master willingly. The chains spanned out with unnatural speed and sought after their targets, screams could be heard as people ran for their lives yet the chains offered no mercy.

Blood painted the landscape as all targets were eliminated with frightening accuracy, sensing that all imminent danger was gone; the chains slowly receded back into the boy whose head fell downwards as his skin was charred and his mouth agape and his eyes blank. The suffering ended which was all it mattered to the boy, his body ached and the smell of blood and burnt flesh was putrid and left him in a dizzy fit.

His eyes could not see anything, even the flames licking around him but the screams that he heard from his captors echoed in his head, gritting his teeth, the emotion rose up again, fear. He was scared again, the screams, the pain, it was all too much for such a young boy to bear.

 _In this world filled with humanity's deepest evil, good men fall and wars rise, am I doomed to live in this hell called reality?_

His body still attached to the tree as the fire roared around him, his body numb of pain from the overwhelming pressure on his physical and mental state, there was not a lot that an 8-year-old could take. Unbeknownst to him, the night was particularly chilly and the breeze just seemed to oblige to fate's whims. Fire increased in tenacity and blood boil in the soaked soil of death, glancing down he noted that the tree had been caught ablaze.

The fire slowly licking away at his feet, his senses returned to him in full force as he comprehended his predicament. After surviving his torment under the hands of evil's wrath, he knew the term death very well, so well did he encounter it numerous times that he often wondered, was death his best friend? Looking to claim him to have a good cup of tea and a game of chess as he swings his scythe menacingly with a nonchalant face as if it was an everyday occurrence?

Struggling against the appendages that held him still, he ignored the stinging pain accompanying it and focused all his attention on removing said appendages. So focused he was that he didn't feel the heat and the promise of death creeping up on him, it was only when he yelped from the heat stinging his bottoms did he understand.

Eyes widening in fear and closing in comprehension, he laid stock still against the crackling wood, knowingly accepting his fate as unshed tears now flowed freely. Was this how it was going to end? Was his gift of life going to be thrown away by this mere coincidence of fate? Was he going to go out knowing that his life filled with pain and suffering, yet he never knew the reason why? What about finding out the…truth?

 _Was I going to allow the sinners who judged me for sins not justified the satisfaction of seeing me go in such a pathetic way?_

Truth. His only source of encouragement, his drive to survive and his hunger for survival to seek it. Just like the moon. It seemed so everlasting, so far out that he could barely fit the visage of it with his tiny hands, so beautiful just like the truth he was seeking. On nights where he slept on the cold hard floor of unforgiven pain, he dreamt of freedom, peace and the moon.

With renewed vigour and new found willpower, he continued his previously futile attempt at survival, yet he could feel success from the slight movements. Success setting in and the promise of freedom right in front of him, he struggled valiantly to reach it. However, it seemed that fate was playing a rather cruel game tonight.

He felt it. Felt it so damn close that he could taste it and it was taken away from him. The tree broke apart under the inferno where it caved into its greatest enemy, the tree fell backwards at a lumbering's pace. Feeling morbid dread in his tiny fragile body, he fought against the bindings with a vigour that Spartans would sing praises of. Yet it was as if the bindings themselves were blessed with divinity and trapped the poor fool that it ensnared.

Feeling the rush of wind battling his face, he looked the sky and the…moon, time stopped in that instance as memories played in his head. Tears shed again when he realised that he was no longer allow to live through such precious moments with the laughter and joy of life. He closed his eyes in anticipation for his impending doom, the fire that displayed such vigour was snuffed out as he realised that willpower alone would not do him any good.

There was no one now to show it to, to prove that he would survive, and to show the determination of a warrior. Instead, all was left was an empty shell crafted from the wrath of the world as it took another victim yet again. What he needed, however, was a new chance, the refresh of a new life to right the mistakes imparted on him, to live till the day where he would smite Kami in her face for dooming him to such hell.

 _I need to change my fate. I need to show the world its mistakes. I need…FREEDOM!_

Instead of impacting the cold unforgiving ground where he would have lay splat as a smudge of trash that the earth itself would not bother with, his face which was now facing downwards similarly to the cat effect came into contact with harsh cold water. The height and speed travelled left a stinging sensation on his skin, but it was quickly replaced by the new sensation in his limbs, freely leaking life source in the water.

Mouth agape and gargling from the pain and sudden influx of water, the taste of seawater and copper left him in a weird form of limbo. His form was still as the currents carried him forwards, he was finally free when a sudden strong current destroyed the tree and knocked him astray.

As he lay in the water, with his vision growing dark from the lack of oxygen, he tried to reach out with his last bits of strength to the blurry image of the moon faded from his eyes as everything turned dark with his last thoughts being nothing but a murmur.

 _Freedom at last._

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 **Point to note, I will be writing based on the first-person perspective of my main character in the future chapters, so make sure to understand that.**

 **So some might wonder what's going on in this chapter, others might say, "Oh! Another neglect fic where MC kicks abusive people ten days to Sunday, I wish to correct that thinking. This fic is much deeper than that, and I want you guys to think. Sorry."**

 **Here's are some clue to solve the mystery that would be given a long way ahead in this fanfic.**

 **1\. Senses are what allow humans to perceive and establish their understanding of the world, what can changes to this do?**

 **2\. Humans are inherently selfish creatures, they want what they cannot have, so what lengths would they go to reach their goals?**

 **3\. Is everything we see with our eyes truly real, or are they simply facades?**


	2. Fated Meeting

**Hello readers, while this story might lack in some quality in comparison to my main story, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have written this first person perspective as best as I could, with regards to the possible mental intelligence to childlike behavior from fond memories. Thus, I hope to hear your reviews soon, it matters not if they are negative or downright insulting since I wish to be criticized instead of consistently acknowledged to learn my mistakes from different perspectives.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Such a shame for a good series to end like that. So many possibilities yet none was implemented.**

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 **Fated Meeting**

I felt relaxed.

Solace of heart and mind.

My body a feather within the trenches on what felt like puffy clouds paying homage to my comfort as I drifted far and beyond in the clockworks of time. Oh, how I had long for such an overwhelming representation of eternal peace, my sufferings a distant past in my memory as I sought to indulge in my current 'reward' for enduring for so long.

As I was serenaded by the voices carried in the winds that strung a tune within my heart, calling me into receiving arms, I had shed tears. My disbelief was overridden as complete and utter confirmation that I would no longer undergo torment was showcased right before my very eyes, glimmers of luxury and skies as vast as they were gold.

I scampered to my feet, a hunger in my actions, my salvation had come at last! No longer would I feel the nagging despair hanging over my shoulders like a curtain, would I cry myself to sleep cursing my next possible day of existence, I had nothing left holding me back. Yet, my body tensed and froze, why had they paused? Our greatest desires were right in front of us, mere feet away as arms of beautiful unblemished skin greeted with warmth radiant of life's greatest joy… and I had stopped.

 _Was there something that held me back?_

Then I could hear it, a voice in the back of my head, whispering in its slight purr of satisfaction, **"Promises. Freedom. Truth."** Those three words resounded within my soul with a verifiable sledgehammer, they jolted my sense of self, imparting upon the final element halting my days of rest.

I realized then that I had _regret_. Deep and tainted regret filled with my life's endless journey to pursue means to repent for them. My life had unfinished business, I could never enjoy a lifetime's of peace when the regret still lingered in my soul, no matter how pure the cleansing this place gave. And those creatures, visages hidden by clouds of smoke, flawless beauty not meant for mortal eyes, they understood.

With a typhoon of wind that tore apart the clouds, yet held no such effect upon the lone individual standing in the eye of the storm. I fell, my ground of physically impossible clouds gave way, plummeting me to my doom at a speed leading to my inevitable death as I felt the rush of air. Yet I smiled, an action forgotten since days longs past, I could feel _their_ grasp surrounding me, coating me in the warmth only matched by a mother's to their new-born.

 _I left my life in their hands._

 **XxX**

My first impression of consciousness was that it _burned_. My entire felt akin to being set ablaze like before, limbs numb for the tiny pricks of gnawing sensation on the surface of my skin, which was ironic since I was underwater at the moment. And from there I made the startling conclusion that I was **underwater!**

My mind flickered to images likely conjured on the verge of death, set aside for the moment where my life was at stake. This was no time to reminisce about possible clouds and gold skies, even if it was an enjoyable prospect.

Muscles hitched in their hastened pursuit to return to the surface, mouth guffawed in an astonished expression as water gushed inward and flooded the pathways for delicious air to enter. My nostrils flared as bubbles expelled in a torrent, my air supply draining at an alarming rate, I sought to reach for the closest possible object to hoist myself upwards.

To my relief and imminent horror, a plank of wood nicked the sides of my fingers, bonking off just enough for to latch onto it for dear life. Awaiting nature to do its work, I had simply underestimated how foul and uncouth my mouth and thoughts just seemed to prove me wrong, as the worst possible scenario arose in the form of a large current.

My vision darkening in the corners as I risked my strength to rely upon my salvation of a wood plank, carrying me further down the river till to my indescribable luck, had caught inside a stone structure. Applying unknown levels of skill, I pulled myself forward against the protest of my already waning body, and superbly kicked off the rocky side upwards.

As the last flickers of light entered my vision, I felt slipping into unconsciousness as the surface appeared within reach, the moment I surfaced, I had taken miserable gulps of air as if it was my lifeline, which it was. Hacking and spluttering the remains of water in my air system was a ruthless process, which left me lying on the rocky surface simply enjoying the gift of air once more while my body reignited itself.

Across the small puddles of water, the blur in my vision cleared away enough to reveal a startling revelation, it took several attempts of looking at several different puddles to provide undeniable proof. My hair and eyes had changed color! My once fiery hair had turned a snowy pale white while my previously teal blue eyes had turned a remarkable shade of green, the same as the forest.

Groaning in confused realization, I collapsed onto wet soil, back laid against cool mud as I stared glaringly at the beaming sunlight, which a small of wave of water had just decided to announce its presence by drenching me head to toe once again. It was at that moment that I cursed sunlight as a whole, its presence was irritating, a constant reminder of a bright sunny deposition to be up kept daily, when my aptitude was more attuned to the moon.

After working out the muscles in my system, I managed to gather myself up and venture outwards where a forest of greens lay waiting to explore. I was not one to shy away from exploring the wilderness, ever since that day I was forced to either live in either an isolated area devoid of life forms or the outskirts of the village.

My senses enhanced through the harsh living style that was forced upon me, my body was akin to that of an animal, and I sniffed the air, picking up the familiar smell of food source. Skipping over branches and thick groves of trees, I made my way towards something that I smelled before and was the only thing that I deemed enough to eat.

Stopping in front of a towering tree, I raised my neck high till I could've sworn I heard it pop, under the blinding sun I managed to make out the silhouette of my desired item. Clawing my way up the tree, I balanced my legs and snatched it quickly for fear of the return of the monkeys. Securing as many as I could, I drop to the ground in a silent thump and scoured for a suitable opener.

Chancing upon a single shrapnel of rock, I lifted it up, dampening it to remove the grime and to sharpen it against another, driving it deep into the forbidden fruit. It cracked open and as if it was a treasure chest, light emitted from the grand opening, I tipped it over and went to indulge myself in the heavenly goodness that was coconut. Within the area of the village, many tropical savory items bore fruit here allowing me to scavenge them and amongst them all, Coconut was by far the best.

Filled with nutrients and delectable liquid, it filled me up both solid and liquid and the numbers that could be found were huge, however, it showed me that I was still within walking or running distance from the village and a sense of dread filled me. Would they come after me again?

I did not understand, my young mind too fragile and tormented to understand the reason why I was dragged back into that hellhole when they proceeded to torment me further. I remember the laughs, the sneers, the hate filled eyes and the obviously the soul crushing feeling of helplessness. Far too many times did I try to flee, but I could not match against the masked wearing people that stayed silent throughout my ordeal, only appearing when I ventured too far away from the village.

 _I was far away now wasn't I? But what if they see me and recognize me still? I don't want to go back to that hell that I once called home._

So I ran. I ran and ran again. The only thing my narrow legs could do for the past three years of my life, feeling that sense of fear and the remembrance of less than happy memories fuelling my desire to escape, I was given a new chance at freedom, new appearance, new life, I didn't want to let this opportunity go to waste.

 **XxX**

Harsh breaths echoed throughout the cave as I buckled my knees and my arms supporting me against the wall, it was a storm outside and I managed to find shelter in the midst of my 'escape'. Misty breath filled my vision as I panted out my exhaustion, it was cold and my entire body was shivering. Crouching down in the dark abyss of the cave, I hugged myself in desperation hopefully to quench the cold invading that was sending tiny needle pricks across every cell of my body.

I flinched as lightning struck earth and wind kicked up dirt, I gazed outside with my emerald green eyes and for the life of me wondered if something would just pop up and try to kill me since it happened often, be they human or animal, reality was selfish that way since I never got a day's solace of peace. Truly I was young and foolish then as my sensitive ears picked up a low rumble just outside the cave, barely audible from continuing splash of nature, but I heard it.

I sunk deeper into the shadows as a precaution, I stilled my breath and lowered my heart rate instinctively. A trick I picked up on when a certain mob would chase after me with the sole intent to kill, I hid and learned a few tricks or two in order to avoid a gruesome beating. Peering through the small opening, I looked out and observed quickly to identify the approaching unknown.

Light barely flickered through but I could tell that something was out there and it was watching me, I tried valiantly to hide my fear and displeasure of the situation but I was already breaking out into a cold sweat despite the fierce gale and freezing climate. After a standstill of 5 mins, I let my guard down and proceeded to deem my unknown client as a figment of my imagination. It was my mistake.

Letting out a sharp exhale of breath, I unknowingly alerted the shadowy figure to my presence and it seemed to have classified me as a prey. Red bloodthirsty eyes opened in exhilaration as they glided against the rain leaving red trails of those eyes dashing at speeds befitting the animal. Before I could even comprehend the situation, it had pounced.

Pawed claws slammed into my cranium, sending me crashing into the stone wall, temporarily negating my efforts to either flee or fight back. Another flash of lightning showed me just what was attacking me, my eyes widened in fear at what my predator was. It was a spotted hyena, beast similar to others in the canine family but they were _much_ more dangerous with the ability to crush bones simply with their jaws, an observation that I made when I was living in the forests. It had made to the top of the list of things I did not want to encounter when I was in the forest.

And just so luck has gracefully granted me, it was a striped one instead of its spotted counterpart, this one was known to hunt down its prey tearing them limb from limb with ease, it also hunted down large defenseless targets instead of going for fruit. I was a prime example of that as I was easily the same size as it was, it opened its mouth and gave out a bone chilling laughter that sent shivers down my spine.

Inner instincts told me to run, to hide, to defend myself and to survive against the beast of nature and I did just that. I dashed out of the cave ignoring the violent splatter against my skin as I clambered through trees and thick mud, despite the branches and trees smacking into my face I continued on with a sense of clarity. I was an inhabitant of the wilds and was equally familiarized with how it worked, I quickly jumped over several thick roots and stood stock still behind a tree.

I could hear the fierce panting and the sounds of paws trudging through the mud as it came to a halt, using the same skill and hoping that the rain would mask my scent. I closed my eyes and focused on my ears, I could hear it moving, panting with its tongue out and the growl it emitted when it lost sight of me. It then slowly walked away when it growled again fiercely for having lost sight of its prey, it gave one final chatter of laughter then resounded through the forest that was responded with an equivalent laughter from a distance away.

It then pawed away, with me letting out a breath of relief, I slumped to the ground in favor of acknowledging the muddy soil at my feet instead of what I could have been, a chew toy for a wild animal, my life forsaken and gone in the blink of an eye. I scanned my surroundings and noted that it was still pouring a monsoon and that I had no way of reaching back to the shelter, I cursed under my breath.

Normally people would chastise or lecture people my age about mouthing out such 'foul' language, but when one was accustomed to living amongst the poor and that even they did not want you around, colourful language were usually used and I learnt them, not really understanding the meaning at times but enough to know the situations to spout it out.

I gathered my wits and ambled out venturing for another shelter using my enhanced eyesight that enabled me to see in the night, checking constantly for any signs of my hunters. Clambering up a tree as I stood atop a decently sized branch, I scoured the surroundings looking for any possible signs but failed to see none and with the heavy gale blasting leaves in every direction, it really hindered my vision.

Sliding down smoothly as I latched onto a particularly thick bush of leaves, I reached out and drew upon the reservoir of power that laid untouched at the moment, but I could feel it circulating through my entire body. Closing my eyes and envisioning it, my whole body started heating up and I could feel it being directed to my fingertips, an exercise that I heard some kids talk about when I stayed in a forested area in the village, they called it training ground.

They were being instructed to reach deep within their inner self's and pull upon the power that was present in every living being, Chakra. I was able to access it pretty easily and after remaining at a respectable distance away and overhearing the instructions. I followed it to the letter and coated the leaves with the energy, it had amazing properties that allowed it to stick to a person's forehead and fingertips depending on how much you deliver.

After living under sheltered trees for the majority of my stay in the wild regions, I utilized that skillset and coated majority of the leaves that I bunch together and surprisingly they stuck together. Allowing me to makeshift coat that kept rain away or to make it into a softer material to lie down on when the rocky cave was too uncomfortable.

Twirling it around my back, I slid on my makeshift coat and continued forward in a random direction, then a scent hit me, normally it led to either a food source or a cave which gave such a distinct scent. However I was stopped in my endeavors as the rustling of trees and snapping of twigs on the ground could be heard fast approaching me despite the rain, I tried to make a run for it but I was hit by a fierce blast of the wind that made me stumble.

I opened up my scrunched shut eyes as I look at my surroundings apprehensively, then a certain bush started shaking and out came a small figure that was in midst of a jump. I was too stunned to notice the incoming obstacle and got my cranium crashing into the ground, my vision was in a daze and I could've sworn that there were small coconuts circling around my head.

Quickly shaking myself out of my stupor, I glanced down at the still figure that had collided oh so ceremoniously. I blinked once. Then I blinked again. I rubbed my eyes and stared incredulously at it. It looked up at me with its wide silver eyes, its ears drooped down against its head and it tilted its head against me, my body unconsciously following the action. It was a wolf. A young wolf pup to be exact that barely reach up to my knees. It had gray fur with white to silver streaks across its body and even if I didn't notice the look it was pulling off, I just wanted to hug it.

Apparently I was popular with animals which I was grateful for since they were made good company, excluding territorial animals or animals with large predatory instincts like Hyenas. I could remember that one incident where I hid inside an alleyway with a cardboard box hiding me from the mob yelling for my blood, it was then I made my first friend, even if I rarely saw her.

It was a cat, or so magnificently called 'The Scorn of The Villagers', it shared a common name with me and I found myself forming some sort of kinship with it. Apparently it was constantly being chased around the village by the older kids and it would occasionally escape them when they were within arm's reach. It probably earned its nickname because it liked to pull pranks, earning the ire of everyone that were tasked to catch it.

I picked the young pup and held him upright it up to my eyes, it stared back with gleaming silver eyes and opened his mouth, before giving me a giant sloppy lick on my nose. "Hey, stop, that tickles," I responded as he stopped but gave a snarky smile that I returned before I glanced down and noticed the wound he had on its hind paw. A small piece of wood was wedged deep into it, slowly leaking out blood, I prodded it earning a loud yelp and a whimper from the pup.

I sent him an apologetic look as I knelt down and looked at him again, he was continuously letting out whimpers from the rain that stung the wound. I laid him down on the ground, "Shh, stay still for a second, I'm going to pull it out, this will hurt a little so try and take it." I softly advise and he seemed to understand as he relaxed and looked at me pleadingly.

I licked my lips and focused my attention on the small piece of irritating wood, I got closer and cautiously held it between my small fingers, and he let out a small whimper but stayed silent regardless. With a final look, he gave me a look that basically said 'do it', so I complied and pulled it out with a swift stroke, a loud yelp was all he gave out before he laid his head on the ground again, panting heavily.

I tore a small piece of my already ragged shirt and tied it around the small wound, I was used to injuries and had learned how to treat such things from books that people threw away. I was grateful that some people just threw away such valuable information, it may have been common knowledge but to me it was a godsend and my body was already littered with scars that healed over time. I would have bled to death if I didn't learn how to read and utilize the information.

I cradled him in my arms and slowly covered us with my coat of leaves, it snuggled up to me and I felt my mouth twitching into a small smile. Animals really were better companions than the humans that I've met and I made a new friend and I even smiled. Something I hadn't done for a long time, the last time I recalled smiling was when I manage to find that book about survival. I remember being absolutely giddy and had learned the essentials, using the information to date.

Walking in the dense area, I and my new companion continued onwards in our quest to find shelter but what I didn't question was, why was the young wolf pup injured? And why did it seem frightened and was panting when it collided with me? I got my answer in the form of a low growl resounding behind me.

Slowly looking back, I had to bite back a groan as instead of a singular hunter appearing before me, now there was the whole pack that was eyeing the both of us, more likely me since I was the larger target. I did the only thing my body was capable of processing, I threw my temporary cloak as a form of distraction and booked it.

Weighed down by the additional member of my party, my hunters were approaching steadily, easily catching up to me using all their limbs. I yelped in pain as one of them managed to nick me across the back with a claw, I succumbed to the pain and collapsed to the ground, skidding across the ground as I hugged my new friend tightly to my chest.

Scratches and bruises littered my arms but I didn't care about that as I opened my eyes to see four pairs of red eyes staring menacingly at me, slowly circling me as they eyed me delectably with mouths watering. I quickly gathered my senses and reach out for a branch thick and long enough to double as a weapon, I pointed it at the hunters as I glanced between them and the wolf pup that was still lying on the ground, thankfully it was starting to stir as its eyes opened.

That was the cue as one of the hunters pounced against the currently weaker prey, instincts screamed as my body moved and hammered a particularly large strike against it, however my body was still weaker than people my age, so it didn't completely knock it out but it still staggered it to ensure it stayed down.

One down, three to go.

Yeah that really wasn't such a perfect plan then, I was soloed out against enemies that were equally as large as me but they had strength in numbers and I had a weakened party member. I managed to deflect most of their strikes somehow, I wasn't aware of how I was doing it but my body was moving on its own, yet I could only do so much as I scored a successful hit but got a barrage of swipes in return that sent my frail body smacking against a tree.

Two down, two to go.

One of them went for a chomp that I used my now run ragged stick to block, it was instantly crushed as the massive jaw strength that I saw once crush a coconut. Yet it failed to comprehend that the wood would enter its mouth and it was left stuck with numerous splinters aligned in its jaw. It cried out in pain and backtracked several times as it shook its head from left to right, trying to get rid of the pains that lingered in its mouth.

I used the opportunity to grab a random piece of wood and struck it across the head, hard. Its mouth clamped shut from the impact and sent it to another world of pain, as it lay on the floor mouth freely leaking blood.

Three down, one more to go.

I looked around in a frantic state, the adrenaline of the situation coupled with my already exhausted state forced my vision to blur but I stood strong and noticed my final opponent no longer eyeing me. But at my companion.

"NO!" I shouted in a panic, as I tried to dash forwards to intercept but I fumbled and skidded across the ground, my head slowly looked up to see it hungrily stare at the young wolf pup, who was whimpering in fear from the larger predator. I tried to reach out for it, slowly crawling and asserting myself to get closer.

 _I'm not going to lose my new friend, don't you dare touch him!_ I roared in my head, it was then I felt it again, the familiar sensation of power flooding my system, my arms glowed golden again and from unknown means they materialized into chains that instantly seek out the hunter, piercing it completely through and throwing it aside with unnatural strength.

The wolf pup crawled to my side slowly as I laid on the ground panting with the glow receding back into my body, it snuggled to my side as it licked my cheeks comfortingly, and I smiled warmly as I noticed that the rain was slowly declining. I look up to see the sky and noticed that once again I was left gazing at the moon, my companion gave a small howl in acknowledgment as I slowly lifted myself against a tree with him laying still on my lap.

I closed my eyes and allowed the feeling of exhaustion to overcome me, my eyelids felt heavy as my head tilted to the side, gradually letting out soft snores.

 **XxX**

I groaned in annoyance as I felt something wet and slimy sticking to my cheeks, it was trailing up and down in a pattern that was becoming increasingly irritating, my eyebrows were twitching as I tried to remain ignorant, but alas my patience grew thin and I awoke with a yell. My fist was already up ready to deliver pain to the annoyance that tried to deprive of his needed sleep.

"Ah?" I lowered it and started chuckling as I realized who it was, staring up at me with a waggy tail and happy smile was my companion from yesterday. Stretching to remove the kinks in my body, sleeping against the tree wasn't as comfortable as people made it out to be. I reached out and started massaging the scalp of my friend, earning a thankful growl of pleasure.

" **Thanks, mister!"**

"No problem…"

I jumped back in surprise as I look around for the owner of the voice, seeing nobody around I glanced down to see a curious look coming from the wolf, looking at me as if I was stupid.

"You can… talk?"

" **Of course, why wouldn't I be able to talk?"** he looked at me after opening his mouth, making me rub my eyes again before staring incredulously at him again. He regarded my actions with a roll of the eye as he pawed towards me and nudged the bottom of my chin with his head.

" **I swear you humans are so weird, you can do all sorts of things but freak out when you see a talking animal."** He then laid down on my lap while my eyes glazed over as I tried to comprehend the situation.

"It must be the coconuts, it just must be, and I think I should lay it off for a while," I said as I remembered waking up in the middle of the night, salvaging some coconuts and devouring them with glee.

" **Argh, you stupid human, I'm real and your eyes are not playing a trick on you, now I wanted to thank you for taking care of me, my name is Minori, nice to meet you."** The now named Minori held out a paw for me to shake, I shook it before immediately grabbing onto him and snuggling him into my chest.

" **Wha-What are you doing human!?"** it cried out hitting me with its small paws as I continued to snuggle him against me.

"Aw, you're just too cute like that!" I said out since I liked animals and what Minori did was just downright adorable, it didn't help that his tail was happily waggling.

" **I-I'm not cute, I'm a male, an alpha, I am not cute, get that right human!"** he tried to argue back but I stayed vigilant and proceeded to smother him more.

"By the way, my name is not human, it's…" I stumbled here, as my grip slackened earning a curious glance from Minori. In my head, I was pondering whether I should use my real name now that I basically changed completely. New hair, new face, new freedom, it was as if I was a different person entirely so should I refer myself to the same name. I was an enigma now, my name no longer related to me since my identity had changed, I remember asking for a new chance on life, that I would change my fate, to right the wrongs in my life.

If I attain those faults with my name, should I still relate to that name to address my new life, in my head it didn't sound right, so I wholeheartedly decided to abandon my name, opting to gain a new name for a new life ahead. I was literally an abnormality since I had the body of my old identity, but having a new name for the same body, it was as if I was a…ghost.

Yes, that's what it was. I was a ghost now.

"My name is… Ghost, nice to meet you" I fumbled a little with my new name, but I felt that it fitted with the persona of my current life.

" **Ghost? I mean like are you a real ghost or something? I get the white hair and all but I think you look more like a snowflake."** he concurred rather rudely earning a huff from me as I glared at him playfully, before proceeding to grab it again and snuggle with him, liking the warmth and the feeling of fur against me.

Surprisingly Minori didn't struggle this time and actually snuggled against me, "So Minori, what are you doing all the way out here?"

" **Ah that's right, I was looking for a way home, I and my sisters left the den a week ago to go hunting with mother, but I got lost and some of those ruthless creatures started chasing after me, I want to go home…"** Minori whined softly and his ears drooped before he looked up in surprise as I caressed the top of his head.

"Don't worry buddy, I'm going to help you to reach home if it's the last thing I do" I gave a grin as he looked at me in surprise.

" **Why would you do this for someone you've never met before?** "

"Because at least you have a home to return to…" my eyes gained a distorted look of both pain and guilt, as I closed my eyes in remembrance of my days living in the torment of the village.

Minori seem to pick up on my emotions as it nudged the side of his head against my body in an attempt to comfort me, **"If you don't have a home, then I'll help you find one!"** I smiled in return as the two of us settled into a comfortable silence until Minori seem to remember something as he jolted upwards and looked at me.

" **Hey, I've forgotten to ask, what was the weird glowing thing you did yesterday? That was really cool!"** Minori's eyes were practically twinkling with curiosity, I pondered for a moment and recalled the chains that seemed to come out of my arms every time I was in a pinch. They managed to save my life on every occasion, what were they exactly?

I close my eyes and tried to recall the familiar feeling that it gave out every time I used it, from the familiar feeling of chakra in my system, I could sense another source. It was equally warm and was somewhat unique compared to chakra, it was as if the energy was obeying my will, remaining stationary while chakra was constantly flowing. I tried to draw upon it, willing it's movements through mental commands.

I could feel it traveling up to my arms using the chakra paths that I could tell led to my fingertips, once it reached my wrist I could feel it stop as if I could no longer disperse further. I willed it to the shape of the chain that was shown to me until I heard a small gasp near me, I opened my eyes and stared in surprise and pride when a chain with a sharp end was sprouted from my wrist and floating in the air as if it was awaiting a command.

I tested it out against a tree as I willed it to attack it, it immediately lashed out and struck the tree and managed to cleave straight through, and earning jaw drops from the both of us. I then stared at the chain when it retreated back to me floating in the air, still awaiting my command.

" **Holy, that was awesome! Hey, hey, think you can make more?"** Minori questioned excitedly and I couldn't blame him, I just chanced upon a technique that I somehow had that could cut through a tree. I then drew upon the power again and discovered something peculiar, it appeared that the chain would only form if there was a singular path or point where the chakra gathered, like the wrist.

I noted that the most amounts of points or paths were on my back and decided to spread the power out between them, it took quite a bit of concentration but eventually I only managed to reach two of these points and pull. Back in reality, I look back to see the exact same chain reform from my back, but the numbers had doubled. However when I tried to command the both of them to attack, one was slower than the other and lack the same power.

Recalling them back made me realize how draining using them were, it was as if my entire container of chakra had been expended in one go, I had experimented before, though that had led me to be surrounded and threatened with swords. Eventually, our time in the forest had to end, and thus we packed up with the best resources we could grab, tracking down a path away from what could have been our original destiny.

 _As a Ghost and his Wolf._

* * *

 **As you've probably guessed, I'm giving my MC a companion in his travels, as to how the title comes about will be shown in the future chapters. I mean out of all the possible companions, I chose an animal wolf, weird right? Not exactly, since my MC is currently paranoid by human behavior and has already assimilated himself with the wilds, thus giving insight into a closer connection to nature and animals.**

 **Took me a while to figure out the name. Minori means beautiful harbor. I will let you all decipher why I chose the name, although part of it was because it was a random decision, even if it is a girl 's name.**


End file.
